


Intermezzo on Tatooine

by OrmondSacker



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Guilt, Lando being in emotional knots, Luke being all jedish and wise, M/M, Pining, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, pre-Lando/Luke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 11:30:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7220551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrmondSacker/pseuds/OrmondSacker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before Lando heads to Jabba's Palace to go undercover, he and Luke have a heart to heart about the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Intermezzo on Tatooine

No matter where in the galaxy Lando had found himself throughout his life, or whatever his circumstances, he could usually find a silver lining, but Tatooine made it damn hard. The planet was too hot, too dusty and too steeped in misery, and if Lando had had any choice in the matter he would never have set foot on it.

Unfortunately, this was where Han was, so it was where he was.

With a critical look, Lando raised the drab brown shirt he was holding and studied it. Another thing he would never have gone near if he'd had a choice, but it worked perfectly as a disguise. No one who knew of him or his reputation would think that Lando Calrissian would ever dress in this shabby outfit and heading into Jabba's palace he needed every advantage he could get. He didn't even want to _think_ about what the old slug would do to him, if he caught him snooping around.

“Are you sure about this?” came Luke's soft voice from behind.

Lando turned to face the young Jedi. The other man was dressed all in black, the sleeveless tunic with nothing underneath it revealed the finely toned muscles of his arms. The sombre look made Luke look even more attractive than usual. Criminally attractive in Lando's opinion.

Had it been anyone but Luke asking Lando would have put on his best 'game' smile and made a cocky comment, but to Luke he owed the truth.

“No. But I'm doing it anyway. You'll need a man on the inside for this.”

“Leia will be there. So will Artoo and Threepio.”

“And none of them will be able to give you the backing you'll need, because none of them knows that old slug the way I do. Besides, I owe it to Han.” _And to you.,_ he finished in his mind.

Luke who was willing to risk everything to save his friend. Not just now, but at Cloud City too. He still felt a stab of guilt whenever he thought of it.

“You did what you thought was right.” Luke said. “What you believed would protect your people.”

Lando shifted uncomfortably, hearing his unspoken thoughts answered by the Jedi.

“I thought Jedi's didn't read other people's thoughts without good reason.” The words came out harsher than he meant them to sound and he gave a small smile to take the brunt off them.

Luke's face remained serious.

“I'm not reading your mind, but your emotions are overwhelming in the Force.” Lando blinked. He hadn't thought his self-recriminations would be that... loud.

“I'm sorry. I'll try to keep it to myself from now on.”

“Or maybe you could talk about it?”

Luke met his eyes calmly and that more than anything made Lando want to run away.

He had never been comfortable handing anyone over to Vader, but he had tried to salve his conscience by telling himself that this Skywalker whoever he was, had probably earned the Dark Lord's ire. But that flimsy excuse had fallen apart the first time he'd had a good look at Luke on-board the Falcon, looking very young and scared, bruised and battered by his fight, cradling his maimed arm.

Lando had met his share of shifty people in his life and knew better than anyone who looks could easily deceive, but he couldn't imagine anything the earnest looking young man could have done to deserve having Vader on his heels.

Luke had changed a lot since Bespin. He looked older, more mature now. His body finely toned and his face serious rather than haunted.

“Lando?” Luke's gentle query brought him out of his reverie. “Perhaps you should tell me what it is that is eating at you?”

“You have to ask that? I thought it would be obvious.”

Luke nodded.

“Then don't blame yourself. I told you, you did what your thought was right at the time. Perhaps a different course of actions from you would have lead to a worse outcome?”

“Worse? Such as?” _What could possibly be worse than the way things _had_ turned out?_

“Han and Leia dead,” the Jedi said looking down on the floor. “You on Vader's leash and me-” Luke broke off and looked away. “And me in a fate far worse than death.” He clasped his hands in front of him and looked back up at Lando. “If it's my forgiveness you want, you already have that.”

Luke turned and stepped through the doorway, only to turn and look back at Lando again with a small smile on the his lips, looking at him through his lashes. “Stop beating yourself up, Lando. It's not an attractive quality.”

Then he left.

For several seconds all Lando could do was stand and stare at the space where Luke had stood.

_Had Luke just tried to flirt with him?_

Lando couldn't remember Luke ever having done that, though if he was quite honest with himself he was usually too occupied feeling bad about himself whenever Luke was around so he might not have noticed.

Maybe the Jedi had a point, perhaps it was time to let his guilt go. Self recriminations never achieved anything. The best thing he could do was try and fix his mistakes, starting with getting Han out of Jabba's clutches.

Then afterwards he could ask Luke if he had been flirting. Maybe.


End file.
